Finland Loses Its Edge, New Index Shows

HELSINKI – A new study shows that Finland's economic vitality has barely improved over the past 15 years. According to a new index developed by the consultancy MDI, 15 other OECD countries have overtaken Finland on vitality since 2010.

The index, called the EVPY index, looks at how well countries attract and keep people, as well as social sustainability. It uses 22 different measures, including business spending on research, national income, and employment rates.

When all areas are considered together, Finland ranks 6th among 38 OECD countries. Iceland, Switzerland, Norway, Denmark, and Ireland are ahead of Finland.

However, when looking only at vitality, Finland has dropped from 9th place in 2010 to 24th in 2024. The study also found that some countries have moved up the rankings quickly since the early 2010s. These include Ireland, the Czech Republic, Estonia, and Slovakia.

"Sixth place is a good result, but falling behind on vitality could eventually hurt Finland's stronger areas," said Risto Heikkinen from MDI.

MDI says the index is different from rankings that only look at income or jobs for skilled workers. Instead, it looks more broadly at welfare, security, and how well societies can renew themselves.

The index was funded by Sitra, a Finnish think tank. It looks at OECD countries between 2010 and 2024.

Eeva Hellström from Sitra said the index is not just about the ranking. "The most important contribution... is the discussion about what we as a society should pay attention to now," she said.